Grab Partners with Firsty for Free Global Connectivity
Firsty, the Amsterdam based startup and the world’s first telecom offering mobile data for free, has announced a partnership with Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading super app. Grab has approximately 46 million monthly transacting users across eight Southeast Asian countries. Through this collaboration, millions of Grab users will be able to access Firsty’s global eSIM connectivity directly through the Grab app, enjoying seamless and cost-effective mobile data both at home and abroad.
The availability of Firsty’s single eSIM solution through Grab’s app eliminates the cost and complexity of traditional roaming, so that Grab’s users can enjoy uninterrupted connectivity with a single eSIM across borders at local rates, without having to manage multiple data plans or SIM cards.
This partnership signals how super apps, like Grab, and new telecom challengers, like Firsty, can join forces to drive the next wave of disruption, bundling mobility, payments and global connectivity into a single ecosystem. This move also reflects a broader trend of super apps expanding into the telecom space. Fintech leaders such as Revolut and N26 have already launched their own mobile plans, leveraging eSIM technology, transparent pricing and digital first infrastructure to challenge legacy operators.
Vince Vissers, co-founder and CEO of Firsty, said: “At Firsty we believe connectivity should be as borderless as travel itself. Partnering with Grab, a company that empowers millions across Southeast Asia, is a natural step in our mission. Together we are making global connectivity simple, affordable and accessible for everyone, whether they are taking a Grab ride, ordering food or traveling abroad.”
Philipp Kandal, Chief Product Officer at Grab, said: “Our mission has always been to drive Southeast Asia forward by enabling economic empowerment for everyone. Reliable connectivity is a key part of that vision. By making Firsty’s eSIM accessible directly through the Grab app, we are making it easier for our users to stay connected in a cost effective and fuss-free way.”
Firsty’s eSIM is now available to Grab users in Singapore. It will be launched through Grab in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines by year end, followed by other countries in Southeast Asia over the coming months
A New Model for Global Connectivity
This collaboration highlights the growing importance of digital connectivity as a foundation for mobility, commerce and opportunity in Southeast Asia. With Grab’s regional scale and Firsty’s innovative eSIM platform, millions of users now have an easier way to stay online both at home and abroad.
In future, rather than relying solely on direct sales, telcos and connectivity providers may increasingly power embedded partnerships inside financial or mobility platforms, making connectivity an invisible but essential layer of everyday digital life.
About Firsty
Founded in 2023, Firsty is a startup based in Amsterdam and Singapore on a mission to become the world’s first telecom offering mobile data for free. Through a single eSIM and a global network of carrier partners, the Firsty app connects users to the best networks worldwide, on land, at sea or in the air. Beyond consumers, Firsty also offers enterprise solutions that allow companies to provide global data access to employees or customers without the complexity of managing SIM cards, roaming costs or data bundles. The Firsty app can be found in the Grab app or in the app and play store.
About Grab
Grab is a leading superapp in Southeast Asia, operating across the deliveries, mobility and digital financial services sectors. Serving over 800 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – Grab enables millions of people everyday to order food or groceries, send packages, hail a ride or taxi, pay for online purchases or access services such as lending and insurance, all through a single app. We operate supermarkets in Malaysia under Jaya Grocer and Everrise, which enables us to bring the convenience of on-demand grocery delivery to more consumers in the country. As part of our financial services offerings, we also provide digital banking services through GXS Bank in Singapore and GXBank in Malaysia. Grab was founded in 2012 with the mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone. Grab strives to serve a triple bottom line – we aim to simultaneously deliver financial performance for our shareholders and have a positive social impact, which includes economic empowerment for millions of people in the region, while mitigating our environmental footprint.
